Cache Side-Channel Attacks and Defenses

In recent years, with the development of information technology, cache side-channel attack threats in information system has a rapid growth. It has taken more than 10 years for cache side channel attacks to evolve and develop since cache-timing analysis was proposed to speculate encryption keys. In this survey, we comb the cache side-channel attack threats in the information system by analyzing the vulnerabilities in the design characteristics of software and hardware. Then we summarize the attacks from attack scene, cache levels, attack targets and principles. Further more, we compare the attack conditions, advantages and disadvantages of 7 typical cache side-channel attacks in order to better understand their principles and applications. We also make a systematic analysis of the defense technology against cache side channel attack from detection stage and prevention stage, classify and analyze the defence technology based on different defense principles. Finally, we summarize the work of this paper, discuss the research hotspots and the development trend of cache side-channel attack and defense under the Internet ecosystem, and point out the future research direction of cache side-channel attack and defense, so as to provide reference for researchers who want to start research in this field.